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Seward Park offers three full acres of green space to Manhattan's Lower East Side. Situated north of East Broadway and east of Essex Street, the park offers visitors a shady relief to the bustle of the big city. The park, named after Manhattan Senator William Henry Seward (1801-1872), was the first municipally ran playground in the U.S. and a model for many others. With an exciting history and masses of room to play, Seward Park Manhattan is probably one of the Lower East Side's treasures.
In the late 1890s the Outdoor Recreation League (ORL) worked to bring organized games to public playing areas. The ORL was instrumental in establishing playing areas in community parks and is important to history of Seward Park.
In 1897, the land that would one day become Seward Park was obtained by the city. The ORL transformed the area into a playground, including a children's garden and a running track. Opening on October 17, 1903, the park's other innovations including marble baths, recreation pavilion and gymnastics equipment, and meeting rooms made it a model for future playgrounds across the nation.
The history of Seward Park continues in the 1930s and 1940s, when the park underwent a sequence of transformations. A portion of the park's east side was taken over by the NYC governent and used for street purposes. In 1936, the park purchased the Schiff fountain from Rutgers Park. The evolution was completed by the addition of a basketball court, more playgrounds, horseshoe courts and an area for roller and ice skating.
The 1950s saw more transformations in Seward Park history. As the encircling Lower East Side neighborhood grew, another section of the park was redeveloped by New York City. Many streets were closed and houses were built to replace apartment buildings.
The current history of Seward Park is indicated by a 1999 renovation that payed homage to the first ORL plan. The park now includes a central oval with a spray shower and map of the Lower East Side, period lighting and furniture, and quotations from local residents spanning the neighborhood's rich history. These changes brought the park closer to it's original 1903 appearance. With it's beautiful curving trails, playgrounds, sports facilities, plenty of benches, Seward Park is still a favourite place for New Yorkers and visitors alike to play.
In the late 1890s the Outdoor Recreation League (ORL) worked to bring organized games to public playing areas. The ORL was instrumental in establishing playing areas in community parks and is important to history of Seward Park.
In 1897, the land that would one day become Seward Park was obtained by the city. The ORL transformed the area into a playground, including a children's garden and a running track. Opening on October 17, 1903, the park's other innovations including marble baths, recreation pavilion and gymnastics equipment, and meeting rooms made it a model for future playgrounds across the nation.
The history of Seward Park continues in the 1930s and 1940s, when the park underwent a sequence of transformations. A portion of the park's east side was taken over by the NYC governent and used for street purposes. In 1936, the park purchased the Schiff fountain from Rutgers Park. The evolution was completed by the addition of a basketball court, more playgrounds, horseshoe courts and an area for roller and ice skating.
The 1950s saw more transformations in Seward Park history. As the encircling Lower East Side neighborhood grew, another section of the park was redeveloped by New York City. Many streets were closed and houses were built to replace apartment buildings.
The current history of Seward Park is indicated by a 1999 renovation that payed homage to the first ORL plan. The park now includes a central oval with a spray shower and map of the Lower East Side, period lighting and furniture, and quotations from local residents spanning the neighborhood's rich history. These changes brought the park closer to it's original 1903 appearance. With it's beautiful curving trails, playgrounds, sports facilities, plenty of benches, Seward Park is still a favourite place for New Yorkers and visitors alike to play.
About the Author:
Jeff Myers has been interested in NYC Parks like Seward park for many years. Myers has written many articles about New York City parks, including the top most interesting facts and brief histories. For more information, please visit his site.